The Australian Rugby League have confirmed that they will be represented by the Sydney Roosters at the inaugural Rugby League Commonwealth Championships at the end of this month in Scotland.
The champions of New South Wales at Under-18 level having recently beaten Penrith Panthers in a thrilling SG Ball final, the Roosters were then beaten by Queensland state champions Townsville Stingers at the home of NRL giants North Queensland Cowboys in the national final.
However the Roosters wearing the green and gold Australia jersey at the RLCC Nines in North Lanarkshire will undoubtedly feature some awesome athletes who will soon be starring in the NRL.
The Roosters first team are reigning NRL champions with stars such as Sonny-Bill Williams, Anthony Minichiello and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck among their illustrious squad.
Having completed their Roosters programme for 2014, the Australian youngsters have returned to their junior clubs. Props Joseph Ratuvakacereivalu and Sheim Fuimaono are back with Cabramatta and Seven Hills respectively in the Parramatta District, winger Jayden Thomas plays for South Sydney Juniors, forward Mitchell Subotin is with Wyong in the Central Coast Division and centre Jack Murchie- Milton is playing for Ulladulla Bulldogs Juniors in the South Coast Group 7 Rugby League.
All will be hoping to return to the Roosters ranks after their Scottish adventure.
The Aussie squad is being managed by ARL Head of Performance Gareth Holmes, while all the coaching and medical staff are from the Roosters, including coach Anthony Barnes and his assistant Sam Bouzounis. They will be favourites to win the competition.
Among their opponents in Group A, along with hosts Scotland and Wales, will be Jamaica, who have taken the opposite approach to Australia’s one-club system.
The Jamaicans have held trials on the Caribbean island and in England, producing a squad containing seven domestic players and eight players based in the UK.
Shavon Cuff and Adrian Hall will represent Spanish Town Vikings, Remone Gordon and Sashawny Smith both play their club rugby league for Washington Boulevard Bulls, while there are other players recruited from Liguanea Dragons, Excelsior Community College, and Mico University College in the capital, Kingston.
They will be joined by young talent from several of England’s development areas – two from the south-east, four from the Midlands and two from Sheffield Eagles.
In the RLCC2014 tournament at Cumbernauld’s Broadwood Stadium in North Lanarkshire, which is part of the Homecoming Scotland festival of events, group games kick off at 1pm on Friday and finish at 6pm. All eight teams return the next day for the play-offs and semi-finals stage, from 2pm to 6pm. Entry on both days is FREE.
AUSTRALIA
Isaac Crichton, Samet Erten, Luke Ellis, Sean-Paul Fenukitau, Shiem Fuimaono, Ryan King, Joseph Manu, Jack Murchie, Chad O'Donnell, Rueben Porter, Joseph Ratuvakacereivalu, Mitchell Subotin, Jayden Thomas, Misieli Vaikeli, Connor Watson (all Sydney Roosters)
JAMAICA
Jordan Annakie (Dover), Zachariah Bembridge (London Skolars), James Lee (Leicester Storm), Shavon Cuff, Adrian Hall (both Spanish Town Vikings), Adolph Gayle (Liguanea Dragons), Jamal McKenzie (Nottingham Outlaws), Denzil Plummer (Excelsior Community College), Lewis Pryce (Northampton Knights), Joel Simmonds (Mico University College), Remone Gordon, Sashawny Smith (both Washington Blvd. Bulls), Aston Stephenson (Midland Hurricanes), Lewis Bowman, Kadeem Williams (both Sheffield Eagles)
Pictured: Spanish Town Vikings are amongst the teams providing players for this tournament